Automatic stopping mechanism for typographical linecasting machines



March 20, 1956 o. F. FRANCIS ET AL 2 7 AUTOMATIC STOPPING MECHANISM FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL LINECASTING MACHINES Filed Sept. 21 1953 2 SheetsSheet l Offa E Franc/ls- William A. Haywood INVENTOR.S

BY m Em March 1955 0. F. FRANCIS ET AL 2,738,869

AUTOMATIC STOPPING MECHANISM FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL LINECASTING MACHINES Filed Sept. 21, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2 9

' 2 gal M Offo F. F rant/s W/l/iam A. Haywood INVENTORS United States Patent AUTOMATIC STOPPING MECHANISM FOR TYPO- GRAPHICAL LINECASTIN G MACHINES Otto F. Francis and William A. Haywood, Port Angeles, Wash.

This invention relates to typographical linecasting machines operated by teletypsetter operating units, mechan-v ically operating the keyboard of the linecasting machine in conformity with coded signs made on a perforated tape, which typographical machines include a mechanism for forcing molten metal into a slotted mold against the composed line of character bearing matrices to produce a printing slug or type bar which is subsequently removed from the mold by an ejector which pushes it from the mold into a galley.

The main object of the invention consists in means permitting to stop the operation of the linecasting machine at any given point automatically and without special attention of the operator after a predetermined number of lines have been set and the corresponding number of line slugs have been deposited in the galley, or after the total length of the line slugs adds up to a predetermined number of inches. 1

While said typographical linecasting machine is operated by means of a teletypesetter operating unit which acts on the key levers of the typographical machine, the operation is practically beyond the control of the operator, as far as an interference connected with the text to be printed is concerned. The copy to be composed has been recorded on a tape by means of coded signs consisting in a set of punched perforations, and this tape which is fed to the teletypesetter operating unit controls and determines completely the operation of the typographical machine, Since this operation occurs at considerable speed, the operator can practically not interfere at the precise moment at which the text composed, should be deleted or changed.

However, it sometimes occursfor instance in connection with the printing of newspapers-that copy already transcribed on the tape which is running through the teletypesetter operating unit must be deleted or changed or shortened. This causes considerable trouble and delay since the operator in order to stop the machine just at the point at which the intended change should occur must devote his full exclusive and undivided attention to the output of the typographical machine for a considerable time.

It is therefore the main object of the invention to provide means which permit the automatic stopping of the teletypesetter operating unit, and thereby the stopping of any further operation of the key levers of the typographical machine, at any point which may be selected, and which may be predetermined by the operator, and identified by the number of lines composed, and the number of line slugs delivered'into the galley, or with the total length of the lines on slugs which have been delivered. According to the invention, the stopping occurs automatically after the operator has preset. the mechanism and does not require any further attention.

A further object of this invention consists in using the above mentioned automatic stopping device as a safety device which stops the composingand linecasting operation of the typographical machine when the galley has been filled with slugs to the maximum extent thought to be advisable, said safety device preventing the galley from being overset and also preventing slugs from being pushed off the galley.

Further and more specific objects of the invention will be explained in the following specification.

The invention will be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment thereof. It will, however, be understood that the embodiment of the invention as illustrated, is shown by way of example only in order to be able to explain the principle of the invention and the best mode of applying such principle. The drawing is not to be considered as limitative and a departure from the embodiment illustrated is not therefore necessarily a departure from the principle of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of a typographical linecasting machine, operated by a teletypesetter operating unit, which carries the mechanism according to the invention;

Figure 2 is an isometric view of the inclined galley of the linecasting machine showing part of the mechanism according to the invention;

Figure 3 is an elevational end side view of the inclined galley provided with the mechanism according to the invention as seen from the far end which is the left end of the galley in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an elevational sectional'view of the inclined galley provided with the mechanism according to the invention, the section being taken along line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional elevational view, this section being taken along the line 55 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional side view of a portion of the electromagnetic control mechanism of the teletypesetter operating unit.

The invention, as has been explained, is illustrated in connection with a linecasting machine 10 (Figure 1) the lower portion of which is shown in the figure and which comprises all the well-known operating mechanisms of such a machine, including the keyboard 12, only the galley, generally indicated at 15 being shown in some detail.

Near the keyboard 12 the teletypesetter operating unit 11 is mounted, which unit, as well known, automatically operates the key levers of the linecasting machine. The standard teletypesetter operating unit is provided with a teletype keyboard safeties unit mounted on a swinging frame which includes a board provided with terminals which are connected with the various keyboard safety devices, and with a stop circuit 66 (Figure 6) which includes a solenoid 68, operating the selector clutch release lever 69 of the teletype operating unit and uncoupling the selector shaft 70 of the said unit, thus bringing the linecasting machine back into its idling or neutral position. This standard equipment is only illustrated in outline since the invention is not connected with the construction of the teletypesetter operating unit and does not in any way alter or change this construction. Therefore, when applying the invention, a teletypesetter operating unit of standard construction may be used without any change.

The linecasting machine, as above mentioned, is provided with an inclined galley 15 for stacking line slugs 16, supported by two brackets 17 fastened to the vise frame 18 of the machine. The line slugs 16 slide through a chute and, while sliding, the slug face comes in contact with the leather lined surface of the slug adjuster 19 which hangs down loosely and gives the slugs a turn through approximately so that it passes to the galley with its face upward. The slug, after having dropped, is afterwards jogged along by the slug lever 20 to make room for the next slug. When'the slugs are shorter than the galley the .stop strip -or rail 22 is used along which. a slidable member, the galley slide 25 may be moved. The construction and operation so far described corresponds exactly to that of the standard linecasting machine.

The :galley rail 22 which :is used according to the invention, preferably consists of -an angle iron, the front plate of which is mounted on the galley 15. On this front plate support brackets 26 for a sliding rod 27 are mounted.

The sliding rod 27runs along the galley in substantial parallelism to the galley rail and projects at one end slightly beyond the galley 15 for a purpose to be described.

011 the right end-(Figure 2) the sliding rod is provided with a knob or head '29, against which a return spring 30 is applied in order to move the sliding rod back towards the right when it has been moved toward the left.

The above and all following references mentioning sides refer to the sides of the linecasting machine, as shown in Figure l and as seen by the operator standing in front of the linecasting machine.

The sliding rod 27 carries an adjustable locating block or stop 32 provided with a bore 33 through which the rod 27 passes, which block is therefore slidable and adjustable and may be moved to any position along the rod 27. In order to fix the position of the locating block 32 at a desired point, a thumb screw 34 is provided which may be applied against the rod 27.

The end of the slide rod 27 which projects beyond the galley 15 carries a switch lever operating plate which is secured to its end in a substantially vertical position by means of a screw.

The galley slide 25 differs in its construction from the standard galley slides in order to cooperate with the sliding rod and its stops. Said galley slide consists of slide block 36 carrying a short angle plate 38, preferably held on top of said galley slide block 36 by means of screws. One side of the said angle plate is spaced from the block to such an extent that the galley rail 22; may fit into the space left between the block and the side plate. The block 36 rests on the inclined galley 15 and frictionally engages the galley rail 22 in the manner above described, so that the slide, while firmly held, is easily slidable along said galley rail. To secure frictional pressure a spring pressed plunger (not shown) may be located in a cavity of the block 36, pressing outwardly and forming a resilient member urging the angle plate against the galley rail.

The slide is, moreover, provided with a notched finger 40 movable around a pivot pin 41 which is mounted within a slot 42 of the galley slide block 36. The notch in the finger 40 permits the latter, while held by the pivot pin 41, to be moved downwardly to the position shown in full lines in Figure 5 in which position it engages the stop 32, as will be described below. When the device is not in use, the finger 40 may be moved back into the position which is shown in Figure 5 in dotted lines.

The galley slide block 36 may also be provided with a handle 43 to facilitate its movement by the operator.

The lower unit of the mechanism is mounted below the galley 15. It comprises a switch operating lever 48 having approximately the shape of a deltoid, one end of which projects slightly beyond the left end of the galley 15 and is provided with a projecting tooth 50 adjacent to a recess or cut 51 which is adapted to receive and to accommodate the lower edge of the switch lever operating plate 45, which is retained in the recess by the tooth 5t) and presses on said tooth-when the slide rod is moved towards the left. The switch operating lever 48 is pivoted at 55 on a pivot pin 56 held between two-projecting lugs ofthe switch carrying bracket 58. The bracket 58 is .-held by'or rfixed toanother bracket 57 which is attached tonne of the galley supports or to the vise frame of the linecasting machine by means of an angle plate 59.

The bracket v58 encloses and carries a micro switch 60 of a well-known type operated by a spring pressed plunger 62 upon a very slight axial displacement of the plunger. The plunger is applied against one of the sides of the deltoid shaped switch operating lever 48 which is normally pressed'against the plunger by means of a coil spring 65.

The switch is thus held in its open condition as long as the switch operating lever presses the plunger 62 inwardly under the influence of the spring 65, while a counter-clockwise movement of the switch operating lever 48 against the pressure of spring 65 causes the plunger which is under spring pressure to move outwardly, thus closing the switch and the circuit associated with it which is indicated by means of the wires 66 and 67.

The circuit 66, 67 is connected with terminals of the keyboard safety box of the teletypesetter operating unit which, as has already been explained above, are connected with the clutch release circuit controlling the clutch release solenoid of the teletypeseter operating unit which disconnects the selector clutch, thus returning the linecasting machine into its usual neutral or idling position.

The operation of the device will be understood from the above description. The device, as has been explained, permits to stop the composing and linecasting operation of the linecasting machine automatically and to return it to its neutral or idling condition in which the keyboard levers are not operated at a given point of the composed text selected by the operator. As this stopping operation is an automatic operation, it does not require any attention. The point at which the linecasting machine should stop the linecasting operation is predetermined either by the number of slugs or type bars to be delivered into the galley or by the total length of the lines which have been cast, etc.

The automatic action stopping the linecasting operation is initiated by the operator who lifts the thumb screw 34 and shifts the stop 32 along the slide rod 27 towards the left to the place which corresponds to the number of slugs 16 which are supposed to be delivered to the galley before the stopping of the operation of the teletypesetter operating unit occurs. The operator then fixes the stop 32 and brings the finger 40 into its operative position (as shown in full lines in Figure 5) and handles the slide 25 as usual, pushing it towards the right end of the galley.

The linecasting machine then operates in the conventional way by means of the teletypesetter operating unit which is controlled by the perforated tape fed into the machine. During such conventional operation matrices are released from a magazine in the order in which the characters are to appear in print and are then assembled in the composed line and transferred to a vertically movable transport or first elevator which presents them to a mold. The mold is then filled with molten metal to form the line slug or linotype against the matrices! which produce the type characters thereon. The slug is then trimmed and ejected by an ejector which is advanced against the edge of the slug andpushes it edgewise from the mold into the galley. Each slug after having arrived is jogged along by means of the slug lever 20 and is thus moved and pushed against the slide 25. As the cast slugs are coming down one after the other, they push the slide 25 along causing it to move toward the left end of'the galley along the rail 22.

The slide is pushed along the rail until it reaches the point when the finger 40 contacts the stop 32. Any further movement of the slide exercises pressure against the stop 32 which has been fixed on the slide rod by means of .the thumb screw 34-and the slide rod is thus moved slightly towards the left, producing a-slight movement of the switch lever operating blade 45 which rests in the recess 51 of-the switch operating lever 48. The slight sliding movement of the plate 45 produces a movement of the switch operating lever 48 in a counterclockwise direction against the action 01" the spring 65. The end of the switch operating lever 48 thus relieves pressure exercised on the spring pressed plunger 62 and the plunger is moved outwardly thus operating the micro-switch 60 which closes the circuit 66, 67. The closing of this circuit completes the circuit of the clutch release solenoid of the teletypesetter operating unit which controls the operation of the selector clutch and uncouples said clutch, thus returning the linecasting machine into its idling condition.

The operator may now perform whatever operation may have been intended at this particular spot, he may delete, change, or replace Slugs, or he may continue operation and/or perform any other operation which may be required. If he wants the linecasting machine to continue the operation he unscrews the stop and lets the slide rod 27 slide back under the influence of its spring-29. When slightly touching the switch operating lever 43, if the lever should not have returned by itself, the said lever is moved clockwise under influence of the spring 65 and again presses against the plunger 62 of the microswitch, thus opening the circuit of the clutch release solenoid of the teletypesetter operating unit. The latter, may then continue to operate the linecasting machine in accordance with the perforations on the tape fed to the above named unit.

The above described galley stop, as will be noted, does not affect the operation of the linecasting machine as a manually operated typesetting appliance or as an automatic machine. No part of the linecasting machine has been removed or has been put out of use. The change to be made in the linecasting machine to introduce applicants device thus reduces itself to the use of a slightly different galley slide and galley rail, and to the addition of a switch and switch operating lever; in addition to the operation above described, the changed galley slide and rail may also operate in the conventional manner.

The stop mechanism has its main advantages in connection with printing jobs in which last minute corrections occur frequently as it is possible, without undue strain put on the operator, to delete, change, or insert lines at any place, even after the code signs for a printed text have been put on the tape controlling the teletypesetter operating unit, and it is thus possible to perform the deleting, changing, or inserting job without forcing the operator to follow or supervise the slug delivery operation closely for a long time in order to detect the proper spot for such deletion, change, or insertion.

It will appear that changes of a non-essential nature may be made in the various mechanisms of the arrangement without in any way departing from the essence of the invention as designed in the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a linecasting machine provided with means for making line slugs by forcing molten metal against a composed line of matrices delivering thesaid line slugs into an inclined galley, said linecasting machine being operated by a teletypesetter operating unit by means of a coupling, and said teletypesetter operating unit being provided with electromagnetic means for releasing the coupling, thus bringing the linecasting machine into an idling condition, comprising a galley rail and a galley slide, traveling along said galley rail, advanced by the line slugs delivered into the galley, an upper control unit on said galley, including means engaged and displaced along the galley by the galley slide, said means being provided with an operating member projecting beyond the end of the galley, and being provided with further means for adjusting the position of engagement between said galley slide and said first named means, a lower control unit, operated by the operating member of the upper control unit, said lower control unit being provided with electrical control means controlling the electromagnetic coil pling releasing means of the teletypesetter operating unit.

2. In a line casting machine provided with means for making line slugs by forcing molten metal against a composed line of matrices delivering the said line slugs into an inclined galley, said line casting machine being operated by a teletypesetter operating unit by means of a coupling, and said teletypesetter operating unit being provided with electromagnetic means for releasing the said coupling, thus bringing the line casting machine into an idling condition, comprising a galley rail and a galley slide, traveling along said galley rail, advanced by the line slugs delivered into the galley, an upper control unit on said galley, including a displaceable slide rod arranged in substantial parallelism to the said galley rail, said rod being moved axially upon movement of the stop when engaged by the galley slide advanced by the slugs, a lower control unit on said galley including a switch operating lever and a switch operated by the said slide rod, said switch controlling the electromagnetic means for releasing the coupling of the teletypesetter operating unit with the linecasting machine thus bringing the latter into idling condition.

3. In a line casting machine provided with means for making line slugs by forcing molten metal against a composed line of matrices delivering the said line slugs into an inclined galley, said line casting machine being operated by a teletypesetter operating unit by means of a coupling, and said teletypesetter operating unit being provided with electromagnetic means for releasing the coupling, thus bringing the line casting machine into an idling position, comprising a galley rail and a galley slide, traveling along said galley rail, advanced by the line slugs delivered into the galley, an upper control unit on said galley including a displaceable slide rod, a spring returning said slide rod into its normal position, if axially displaced, said stop being axially displaceable along said slide rod and provided with means for fixing it in any position on the slide rod, said slide rod being displaced axially upon movement of the stop which has been fixed to the slide rod, upon engagement with the galley slide, the said upper control unit consisting of the galley slide, galley rail, slide rod and stop being arranged on the upper side of the galley with the slide rod projecting at one end beyond the galley, an operating plate reaching downwardly, mounted at the end of the slide rod projecting beyond the galley, a lower control unit arranged on the underside of the galley including means engaged by the said operating plate for operating a switch, said switch controlling the electromagnetic means for releasing the coupling between the teletypesetter operating unit with the linecasting machine thus bringing the latter into an idling condition.

4. A linecasting machine as claimed in claim 3 wherein the means engaged by said operating plate include a pivoted switch operating lever with a recess accommodating the operating plate, said lever being moved around its pivot by an outward movement of the operating plate, attached to the slide rod, away from the galley and a spring drawing said switch operating lever towards the operating plate, and wherein said switch is a microswitch provided with a spring pressed switch operating plunger applied against the said switch operating lever.

5. A linecasting machine as claimed in claim 3 wherein the means engaged by said operating plate include a pivoted switch operating lever arranged below the galley, having an end projecting beyond the galley, said end being provided with a recess accommodating the operating plate and an upwardly projecting tooth applied against the plate, a pivot pin for the switch operating lever arranged near the lower end thereof and a spring drawing the aforesaid end of said switch operating lever towards the said operating plate, and wherein the said switch is a microswitch provided with a spring pressed, switch operating plunger, holding said switch in closed position when pressed outwardly by the spring pressure, but opening 7 8 said switch whenlmoved upwardly against spring pressure, 1,871,330 Marlatt Aug. 9, 1932 said plunger being normally pressed back by the switch 2,086,547 Goetz July 13, 1937 operating lever applied against it under the action of the 2,163,390 Fine June 20, 1939 spring attached to said switch operating lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,146,005 Luck July 13, 1915 

